This invention relates to bingo-type gaming systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for assigning prizes from a number of different prize levels available in a bingo-type game.
Numerous gaming systems have been developed in which participants may be awarded prizes based on the result or outcome of a game play. The outcome of a game play in a gaming system may be determined in a number of different fashions. Video and electronic games available in casinos may determine a win or loss for each play of the game according to some algorithm. Lottery-type games rely on predetermined game records which are analogous to lottery tickets. Each game record is predetermined as being a winning or losing record, and winning records are associated with some prize. These predetermined game records are distributed to players in the course of game play, and a player receiving a winning record is entitled to the prize associated with that record.
Bingo-type games make up another general class of gaming systems. A bingo-type game is played with predetermined cards that include a number of symbols randomly arranged in a grid of spots or locations. The cards may be physically printed on paper or another suitable material or may be represented by a data structure which defines the various card locations and symbols associated with the locations. In the course of play, symbols are randomly selected from a pool of the symbols and matched to the symbols on the card. A card having matching symbols arranged in some predetermined pattern is considered a winning card.
A new type of gaming system is disclosed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/265,100 entitled xe2x80x9cObject Draw Gaming System and Program Product.xe2x80x9d The entire content of this provisional patent application is incorporated herein by this reference. This gaming system uses predetermined bingo-type cards, each card comprising a grid or other structure of locations and each location associated with one of a number of symbols. Outcomes in the game are determined by matching randomly selected symbols with the symbols on the player cards as in any bingo-type game. However, the matches and thus winning and losing player cards are determined prior to distributing the cards to the players. The matched or xe2x80x9cdaubedxe2x80x9d cards are distributed in some random order to players in response to game play requests from the players. Preferably, each player card and each matched player card is represented by a data structure, and the data structure itself or related data for a matched card is distributed to a player in response to a request for a play in the game. The players make these game play requests through player terminals which are in communication with a central computer used to distribute the matched game cards or related data.
Lottery-type games are each associated with a prize distribution or prize table. The prize table assigns the various outcomes in the game to different prize levels. For example, a prize table may be patterned on a poker game with various poker hands related to the various prize levels in the game. In this example, the poker hand representation is a graphic representation of the outcome in the game. The different possible hands are each associated with, or assigned to, a particular prize level in the prize table. Other prize tables may have a reel-type game (slot machine) theme, some other traditional casino game theme, or a theme totally unrelated to traditional gaming.
It is desirable for the games available at a particular gaming establishment to have a variety of different prize distributions. This variety in prize distributions helps maintain player interest and makes the gaming experience more exciting. It is also desirable that each particular prize distribution include a diverse set of the available prizes. A diverse set of prizes available in a game helps make the game more interesting and enjoyable to the players.
One problem with bingo-type games is that the probability of winning or losing with a particular card is always determined by a fixed set of constraints. These constraints include the number of symbols available in the pool of symbols, the predetermined pattern or patterns to be matched, and the number of locations on the card (or card data structure). For a given set of constraints, the probabilities of winning and losing are generally fixed. Although it is possible to vary these bingo probabilities by varying these constraints, varying the constraints may be cumbersome. Also, even varying the constraints for the bingo game only has a limited effect on the resulting bingo probabilities.
Using bingo game probabilities to determine prize levels in a bingo-type game such as that described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/265,100 would constrain the possible prize distribution for the game and prevent the use of a desirable prize table/prize distribution. It is therefore desirable to develop some new method of assigning or distributing prizes in bingo-type games in general, and particularly the bingo-type game described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/265,100.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for assigning bingo-type game prizes which overcomes the above-described problems associated with bingo-type games. The invention encompasses both a method for developing a desirable prize distribution for a bingo-type game and method for assigning prizes in a bingo-type game.
A method according to the invention includes determining a pattern probability for each of a number of target patterns achievable in a bingo-type game. Each pattern probability comprises a probability of achieving the respective target pattern in the bingo-type game. The method next includes associating or mapping a different pattern set to each different prize level in a desired prize distribution. The target patterns and their respective pattern probabilities are then assigned or mapped to the different pattern sets so that the individual pattern probabilities included in each pattern set add up to the desired probability of the prize level with which the pattern set is associated. In this way, a desired prize distribution may be developed for a bingo-type game. That is, the prize table or prize distribution for the bingo-type game need not be constrained to the bingo probabilities associated with achieving particular patterns in the game.
The target patterns may be any patterns that may be achieved in a bingo-type game. For example, a card for a bingo-type game may include a grid of the 5xc3x975 spots or locations, with a symbol associated with each location in the grid. A target pattern within the scope of the invention may be any pattern which may be produced by the locations on the card. A target pattern may, for example, comprise a straight line of five locations, or two diagonal lines of locations forming an xe2x80x9cX.xe2x80x9d Any other pattern may be used as a target pattern within the scope of the present invention, including patterns which do not form an identifiable shape.
For a given bingo-type game conducted with a given set of rules, each target pattern will be associated with a pattern probability. This pattern probability is the probability of a player achieving that particular pattern under the rules of play in the bingo-type game. For a certain number of target patterns there will be associated a corresponding number of target probabilities, each target pattern in the group associated with a characteristic pattern probability. As used in this disclosure and the accompanying claims, a xe2x80x9cnumberxe2x80x9d of elements such as a xe2x80x9cnumberxe2x80x9d of target patterns will mean some integer value greater than one, unless specifically stated otherwise. Thus, the phrase xe2x80x9ca number of target patternsxe2x80x9d refers to a group of more than one target pattern.
A desired prize distribution or prize table within the scope of the present invention will include a number of different prize levels. Each prize level in a desired prize distribution is associated with both a prize and a desired probability of winning that prize in the course of game play. It is important to note that according to the invention, a desired prize distribution may be any prize distribution. In particular, a desired prize distribution may be a distribution associated with some preexisting game such as a traditional poker game for example. A primary advantage of the present invention is that prizes may be awarded from the bingo-type game to produce any desired prize distribution and yet the individual prizes are determined by the underlying bingo-type game which is subject to the relatively fixed bingo probabilities.
The step of associating or mapping target patterns to the pattern sets/prize levels may be accomplished in many different ways. For example, the target patterns may be chosen manually for inclusion in a particular pattern set, or chosen according to some rule. Target patterns may also be selected for the various pattern sets in some automated fashion according to an algorithm. The only constraint according to the present invention is that the pattern probabilities of target patterns included in each individual pattern set must add together or sum to a value which approximates the probability of the prize level with which that pattern set is associated. It will be appreciated that the pattern probabilities in a given pattern set may not total exactly to the desired prize level probability. However, it is the goal of the invention to associate or map target patterns and their respective pattern probabilities to pattern sets so that the pattern probabilities in each set total to a value approximately equal to the probability associated with the respective prize level with which the pattern set is associated. The allowable variation between the sum of pattern probabilities in a pattern set and the respective prize level probability may be significant, however, in every case the target patterns and respective pattern probabilities are selected for inclusion in a pattern set based at least partially upon the desired prize level probability with which the pattern set is associated.
According to the present invention, prizes from the desired prize distribution or prize table are awarded in the bingo-type game according to the pattern set with which an achieved target pattern is associated. For example, a prize level associated with prize X in a given prize distribution may be associated or mapped to a pattern set including three target patterns, patterns A, B, and C. A player holding a card that achieves pattern A in the bingo-type game will be awarded this prize X. Players holding cards that achieve target patterns B and C will also be awarded prize X.
An advantage of present invention is that once pattern probabilities are determined for a bingo-type game under given rules of play, these probabilities may be used to develop a number of different prize distributions or prize tables for games using the same underlying bingo-type game. Specifically, after target patterns/pattern probabilities are mapped to the various prize levels of a first desired prize distribution, the method according to the invention may include mapping target patterns/pattern probabilities to additional pattern sets associated with prize levels of an entirely different prize distribution or prize table. Once again, each target pattern and its respective pattern probability is mapped to the various additional pattern sets so that the pattern probabilities in each set total approximately to the probability of the additional prize level with which the respective pattern set is associated.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments, considered along with the accompanying drawings.